AQUITANIA’S CAPTAIN

Hokitika Guardian, 1 September 1928, Page 1

AQUITANIA’S CAPTAIN

DEATH OF SIR JAMES CHARLES. DRAMATIC SUDDENNESS. ON BOARD R.AI.S. AQLTJ’ANIA. July 10. Six days ago Sir James Charles had navigated the Aquitanin out of New York’ Harbour for the last time. Ho was bound for England, retirement, and, as bo told us in a talk to the entire ship’s company, “a little English home in a garden.” During those six sunlit days the 1,500 passengers saw c,motion and distress creep into a face that had been sphinx-like throughout the previous 727 Atlantic crossings which were part of Sir James's 50 years’ work at sea.

Oil the outward voyage everyone jie.ered up at him on the bridge with affection and regret. Everyone gave and gave again to enable him, when ho turned and reached Southampton for the last time to hand over a big sum to seamen’s charities. UNANSWERED QUESTION. Everyone wished to speak to him. Always be had to answer the same questions. Was it a wrench to leave the ship? He would look away as if he were peering through the haze of tile horizon, and would avoid the question. Wlmt would lie do? In answer to that lie would soften and talk almost lovingly of “three acres and a little homo.” 411 the way across the ship’s company hid from him a beautiful walnut bureau and chair, their present to him bought out of large sums and small, given with those words of affection that were the only ones ever used to describe Him. The gift was made in New York Harbour last Sunday.

They tugged their present into a dining-room, and waited there as excited as schoolchildren while Sir James was being asked down from above. They did not have to bo asked to cheer him when he walked in, bronzed, tall, burly, firm-jawed, and—still imperturbable. You could have heard them far away pver the New York dockside.

But when he told them that he was a sailor, lived their lives, understood them, and that now he was going into a little house and garden that would have to bo a little bigger than lie lmd intended to match such a beautiful present, one s;nv one c-rnck in the rock, one little (hitter of muscles in the face, that could not bo restrained. They piped him the Commodore’s Salute for the last time, and stoood to rigid attention to honour him, and gave him honours in music and in the halting words of sailormen. SMILE FOR HIS ADEN.

It was his own happy thought to draw a elmir to the desk and sit at it, so that all his men could file by and see him as lie would be in his little home. As they walked by lie smiled up at them, and as the last man passed ono felt that one had scon one more break in the rock.

We left Now A T ork at midnight. An officer who saw him on the bridge as the last link with land was broken, as the last light of the Hudson River flickered and faded, told mo that he saw something in his face that lie had never seen before, something that only a man who knew him well could detect. It was the beginning of the

great wrench. It was noticed during the return voyage that lie was spending more time than ever on the bridge. He would speak to passengers, ask them what place they would recommend for a small English home. But always lie was soon back at bis work.

His willing navigating officers songlit a greater share of his task, but failed to move him, and at last two days before the ship reached Cherbourg, the ship’s surgeon, l)r B. Sydney Jones, told him that he must take his proper rest. OX THE BRIDGE TQ THE END. In those last two days he was on the bridge more than ever. The night before Cherbourg was reached a determined effort was made to persuade him to allow his staff-captain, Captain G. R. Dolphin, to navigate the vessel into harbour. But Sir James was on the bridge at the Casquets. fie was there when midnight came and the lights of tlie mainland were twinkling. His were.the orders that slowed the Aquitania from her high-seas speed to the swanlike glide with which she entered the harbour, that set the great propellers into reverse and brought her to a standstill, that set the anchor roaring overboard to bring his last Atlantic crossing to an end. He watched the Channel pilot who was to take the Aquitania into Southampton come aboard. When lie sought rest at last ho chose the oft settee of fjie charf room, where work surrounded him, in preference to the quiet and comfort of his own bed. Ten minutes after he had retired his

boll rang with an insistence that made two officers rush in, convinced that something was amiss. They found him in a state of collapse, suffering groat pain, and with traces of blood that told of internal haemorrhage, For seven hours tho groat ship moved slowly towards Southampton, her warning siren being used as rarely and sparingly as possible. All the time Dr. Jones and his assistant surgeon, Dr R.: L. Lancaster, who recently successfully ' carried out an operation for peritonitis in a small ship with primitive appliances, were fighting for the captain’s life.

HIS WIFE. All tho way to Southampton Sir James was treated with morphia to ease the pain. On the quay an ambulance was waiting. As soon as the gangway could be lowered Lady Charles, who had been warned, came aboard and went to his side. But be was semi-conscious and could neither speak to nor recognise her. Down a covered gangway members of bis crew bore him into the ambulance, and Lady Charles wont with him to a nurking homo only a few doors from their Southampton homo in AViim road. Passengers waiting for tho Customs examination were in tears as they saw him go. A quarter of ail hour later, while passengers were still walking down the gangways, wo saw the Commodore’s Hag flutter slowly to half-mast. AVithin a few minutes a similar tribute had been paid by every ship within sight.

Tho thousand men who make up the crew of the ship, many of whom should already have dispersed, stayed behind and spoke quietly together of him as men speak of their dearest friends.